


Rodney Makes A Move

by cookiemom6067



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Episode Related, Episode: s05e16 Brain Storm, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 05:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8191502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cookiemom6067/pseuds/cookiemom6067
Summary: John watches and waits





	

He watched Rodney with Alina, their heads cozily bent together over the old maps and books and rubbings in the Quindozem’s monastery. He waited for Rodney to make a move, but Rodney didn’t - he hadn’t even noticed Alina noticing him.

He worried about Rodney with Norina, expecting Rodney to become distracted by the nearness of his ideal – a short-haired blonde with brains. He waited for Rodney to make a move, but when the tremors from the super volcano threw them all to the ground, he made a move himself, to prevent Rodney from making his.

He fumed over Rodney’s gift to Sam Carter – he knew Rodney’s crush was as long-standing as it was hopeless, but perhaps Carter in Pegasus was not as untouchable as Carter in the Milky Way. He knew Rodney was making a move, so he wasted no time pronouncing the fruit basket “lame” and co-opting it for himself.

He blinked up at Teyla and Ronon, his memory restored. When he heard about the deaths, the only thing on his mind was “Where is McKay?” It hurt in an inevitable way that Rodney was watching over Katie Brown. Katie Brown, the convenient botanist, Rodney’s fallback position. He wondered when Rodney was going to make a move, but he didn’t have to wait long – an engagement ring was shoved in his face only weeks later.

When the proposal went disastrously, as only McKay’s romantic plans can, he breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of Rodney with Katie made him feel very sick. He knew that Rodney could not possibly be happy with Katie long-term.

He stood by the stasis pod, the sands of Atlantis drifting around his boots, and learned that Rodney had finally made a move and married Jennifer Keller. He felt sick, but in a different way. Rodney had been happy with Jennifer, and she with him. Had she lived, would Rodney have given a thought to scheming to save John? Should Rodney’s brilliant but crazy time travel plan send John back to change everything, would it really change everything? Would Rodney still marry Keller? Should he hope so, for the sake of Rodney’s happiness, or hope not, for the sake of his own?

Over the months since his return to his own time, he watched as certain things from the alternate Rodney’s past were prevented: Teyla lived and Torren was with them; Michael was killed falling from the tower and did not live to see his nefarious plans through; Ronon stayed in the city; and Sam Carter was not killed on the bridge of the Phoenix. When Richard Woolsey showed up to take over for Sam, he was disturbed. Were certain aspects of events in Atlantis immutable? Woolsey’s presence was not the most disturbing development, from John’s point of view, as he observed the growing relationship between McKay and Keller. He waited for Rodney to make a move with a kind of fatalistic certainty.

He asked “I wonder if he’s going to make a move?” so often he thought Ronon was going to smack him.

Returning from their Earthside leave, Rodney and Keller materialized in the gate room arm in arm. It was clear.

Rodney had made his move.

John was happy for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LiveJournal community sga_episodefic's Season 5 tagathon.
> 
> References to many events prior to that episode
> 
> Come see me on [Tumblr!](cookiemom6067.tumblr.com)


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